Or stuck in Limp home mode (2nd gear no turbo) with a diagnosis of "replace every expensive part until it runs correctly"- but they couldn't ever get it to run right, and the owner moved to the Stuttgart Insane Asylum for the Indignant.

Or stuck in Limp home mode (2nd gear no turbo) with a diagnosis of "replace every expensive part until it runs correctly"- but they couldn't ever get it to run right, and the owner moved to the Stuttgart Insane Asylum for the Indignant.

No, I didn't, and haven't- but I've heard horror stories like that. My plan is to do as much preventative maintenance as possible, learn as much as I can, and do what I can myself. My worst experience is the 'flywheel' plate between the engine & torque converter went shrapnel- a known problem on '02 & '03s. It also took out the crank sensor, so the engine stopped too (close to home too). I have access to a good shop so I could drop the tranny myself, and a local Sprinter genius in Toledo helped me with the sensor and parts. I also did a ATF & filter change, and the rumble strip fix. I've learned to clean my EGR, that seems to be a potential problem as well.

Some day it may bite me in the ass, but so far, its really been a handy and fuel efficient vehicle.